This invention relates, in general, to resistors and more particularly to resistors that enhance the performance of radio frequency (RF) amplifiers.
In RF operation the response characteristic of a resistor is determined by a resistive component and a reactance component wherein the reactance component is caused by, for example, parasitic inductance and capacitance occurring in the leads of the resistor. Moreover, at high frequency operation this reactance component of the resistor acts to reduce the effective operation of the RF amplifier.
In prior art resistors, as frequency is increased, for low resistance values, typically less than 20 ohms, the lateral dimension of the resistor becomes very long compared to the wavelength of the current flowing through it. Since the current flow is distributed throughout the resistor, some current paths through the resistor are very long, causing long time delays. This results in a substantial degradation of response in radio frequency operation.
Hence, there exists a need for a resistor that results in enhanced frequency response in radio frequency operation.